Chapter Five
As the sun rose above the wooded horizon, a group of Hexside students stood in a loose group around the grudgby field. A massive structure of wood, surrounded by a walled pen, stood in its center — one that all of the students recognized by now. Principal Bump and the Owl Lady stood to the side and chatted as they waited for the ideal time to start.
After a while, Bump stepped forward and gave his now-routine, but still very heartfelt, speech about palismen and their importance to growing as a witch. Eda took the reins and discussed why carving palismen was no longer a viable tradition, and cued in the Bat Queen's arrival to release the fresh batch of palismen looking for new partners and give her instruction on how to find their ideal match.
The first to volunteer was Bo, one of the nicest girls at Hexside and the unofficial poster girl for the Healing track. She stood proudly and proclaimed her desire to rid the Isles of disease, and a snake palisman — named Hepius, according to the Bat Queen — curled up her leg and torso before flicking its tongue to kiss her cheek and then winding down her arm to form into a staff.
Close behind Bo was Amelia, who wanted to start her own park doubling as an orchard where families and children could play together and pick their own produce. A hummingbird with emerald plumage around a blood-red throat fluttered from her perch on the palisman home and darted around Amelia in a fluttering dance before also expanding into a staff. The Bat Queen called her Jewel, which fit her iridescent colors.
One after another, the students proclaimed their greatest wish and were approached by the adorable living figurines. Celine the Oracle student was matched with a stag named Hart, Tuck the bowl-cutted Beastkeeper was matched with a llama named Andrew, and Edwin the byclops Potions student with a flounder named Guppy. After some time, only one student remained: Mattholomule. Matt stepped forward with a nervous frown on his face, but with his brows knitted in determination. He'd taken Gus's advice and contemplated his life goal for days, all for this moment. His cheeks pinked at how personal this was going to get, but he shook his head and spoke.
"I want to become brave. Brave enough to stand up for what I know is right, brave enough to stand up for the weak …" He clenched his fists. "Brave enough to let others get close and not push them away."
The diminished crowd of palismen remained silent at his declaration, and Matt began to wilt in disappointment. But then the Bat Queen spoke up, "It would seem Duke agrees." As if on cue, a weasel darted its way over the pen wall and stood up to look up at Matt. He chittered and nodded before rising and expanding into a staff.
"Uh, hi …" Matt said, a smile twitching at his lips. "Nice to meet you, Duke."
As the witchlings discussed and introduced their new companions to their fellow students, the Bat Queen couldn't help but smile. She had taken all of these palismen in after they had left abusive partners or been broken and cast aside. Thousands of years of watching such things had hardened her heart to the redeemability of witches, until that human girl had earned back the respect of the Owl Lady's palisman.
And now, the new generation were accepting used palismen with open arms and hearts. It was truly rewarding to witness.
"You okay, BQ?" Eda asked, stepping up beside the massive demon.
"Oh yes," she replied. "Just thinking about the future."
As the sun neared the horizon, it painted the rooftops of Bonesborough with golden light. Amity watched with serene stoicism, her hands resting on the stone border of the large roof terrace on the backside of the Abomination coven house. As the wind brushed against her hair, Amity snorted in a most unladylike way. She'd reported in to the front desk almost half an hour ago and been told to come up here to wait for Darius.
'Another passive-aggressive display,' she thought.
No sooner had she thought it than her ears twitched at the familiar sound of an arising Abomination. She glanced back over her shoulder to find Abomination clay seeping from between the tiles of the rooftop that reformed into the presence of Darius himself. "Ah, that feels better," he said. He twisted his neck with an audible pop before addressing Amity with his fingers steepled. "Welcome back, Ms. Blight. I do hope you've had enough time to … think."
"I have, Head Witch Darius," Amity said neutrally, mirroring his stance. "And if you are still willing, I would be honored to serve and to learn."
"Excellent," Darius crooned. "Though, before I take you under my wing, there is a minor detail to consider." His grin grew toothy. "A tradition of sorts for coven heads taking on young successors." He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to reveal the dark sclera and acid-green irises of an Abomination. Purple clay rose up and swirled to obscure him from view before parting to reveal that Darius was now composed of Abomination clay, dotted with extra eyes — essentially becoming a living, thinking weapon.
"Intrapersonal transmutation," Amity said, her eyes wide.
"It seems you truly are quite well-read," Darius said, his voice more gravelly in this second form. "Now then. Defend yourself, Ms. Blight." With that, he swung his much-larger left arm at her in a devastating opening move.
Before he had even started moving, though, Amity was tracing spells of her own, one in each hand. The first summoned a thick arm of Abomination clay that burst from the tiled floor to block Darius's strike, buckling under the force but stopping it nonetheless. The second conjured pink flames in her palm that she cast out to strike against the head witch.
Darius reeled back in faint surprise at the sudden response, his massive arm harmlessly absorbing the fire spell. He watched briefly as Amity darted to the side for room on the terrace, silently acknowledging the tactical wisdom in the movement, before conjuring a saber of Abomination clay that he used to strike out at the witchling when she had stopped and turned to face him.
Amity magically produced a small flask of her own clay that she maneuvered out and into a shield to divert the sword stroke. Her motions with one hand kept the shield moving to block Darius's continued assault, while the other summoned Ghost's staff. With the staff secure in her grip, Amity whirled it into a circle as wide as she was tall.
"Abomination, attack!" From the standing circle leapt a large Abomination formed into an unusual shape — not humanoid as was traditional, but rather sleek and quadruped, bringing to mind a wolf or large cat. With the command of its master, the construct launched itself at Darius with a leonine roar.
Darius grunted as the animalistic Abomination latched onto his arm, hissing with a mix of vexation and honest respect. Amity's teachers had clearly been wise to recommend her. With a cry of effort, he lifted the construct bodily into the air before smashing it against the tiled ground to explode into inanimate matter.
"Nicely done, child," he sneered, "but you'll have to do better than-" Darius's gloating was interrupted as his own enlarged arm punched him in the face with a grunt of pained surprise. As he continued to punch himself, Darius reabsorbed his sword in order to block his own fist with his now-free hand, noting the glow of magic around his rebeling limb.
As he struggled with his wayward appendage, Darius looked at Amity. The youngest Blight held a spell circle around the palisman capping her staff and had her stance braced as if pressing against a great weight. The glow around Darius's arm slowly spread to cover his chest and the serpentine tail that was in place of his legs before Amity whirled her staff downward, bending him and slamming him into a kneeling position.
"You dare-?!" Darius snarled.
"You said 'defend yourself,' Head Witch Darius," Amity rebutted, her voice strained as sweat rolled down her temples.
Darius grit his teeth in a grimace … that slowly changed into a fearsome smile. He laughed, the sound loud and booming, before he returned to his witch-form and Amity's enchantment faded with no Abomination to anchor it. He flicked his wrist to form a spell circle and clay surged up from the terrace in the shape of solid spikes that surrounded Amity, mere inches from the skin of her neck on six sides.
"Marvelous work, girl," he said, clapping slowly. "I must say I am certainly impressed." He snapped his fingers and the spikes retreated, allowing Amity to banish her staff and rub at her neck in a nervous motion. "With that out of the way, there's one more actually small thing." Another snap of his fingers and a fount of clay emerged and retreated to leave in his hands a package wrapped in thick brown paper. "If you would."
Amity took the parcel and opened it. She huffed an amused laugh at its contents. "Of course. Sir."
In the lower regions of the castle, Lady Feronia and her apprentice were being escorted by a captain of the Emperor's Coven — notable for the feathered plume and the decorative tusks on her helmet — and a trio of scouts. Willow had instinctively adopted a position to mirror her mentor, her back straight and her hands clasped before her waist. She glanced at Feronia and marveled at how the woman seemed so calm; if it weren't for her mask, Willow was certain the scouts would see how nervous she was.
"Here we are," Feronia said quietly, just before the captain held up a hand and the scouts halted. They had stopped at a large alcove taken up by something suspended with chains. It looked like a cocoon of red silk, but the sight of it made Willow nervous.
"The Emperor wishes to present an example of punishment for treason," the captain said, lifting a hand shrouded in magic. The strands of the cocoon began to faintly glow red and unravel from the top … and Willow couldn't hold back a gasp at what the threads revealed.
Raine Whispers.
The middle-aged witch was trapped in the cocoon, which had retracted only enough to reveal their head. Their features were haggard and sharp, thick, dark bands under their eyes behind their cracked glasses. They took a shuddering breath and grunted with discomfort before slowly lifting their head. They shuddered again and gave a cracked laugh. "Feronia … Nice to see you."
"Hello, Raine," Feronia replied tensely, a tight smile on her lips. "How are you feeling?"
"I'll admit, I've been better," they said, in obvious pain.
"I am sorry about all of this, child," Feronia said mournfully.
"Not your fault," Raine said before devolving into harsh coughs.
"That's enough of that," the captain said before clenching her fist. Raine's tired expression shattered into a rictus of pain as the threads grew back to wrap around their head, sealing it up entirely. "Back to the main hall," the captain commanded, and the scouts spun on their heels to follow the order.
Willow's eyes were wide with shock behind her mask, her stomach churning with horror at the fate of the Head Bard. It was only Feronia taking her arm in hand and dragging her along for the first several steps that brought Willow back to the present to follow. But as they left, she couldn't help but look back at the prison that held Raine.
An hour later found Feronia and Willow back at her office as Willow had cast aside her mask and was pacing in front of her mentor's desk, ranting about what they had seen. "Why even show us that?!" she shouted. "What? As an example? An example of what?! What could they have done to deserve something like that?"
"Treason," Feronia interjected as she signed some paperwork.
That stopped Willow cold and she looked to her mentor. "… They really committed treason? How?"
"Young Raine was the founder and leader of a group of 'radicals'," Feronia continued. "You may have heard of them. The Bards Against the Throne, or BATTs?" Willow tilted her head, the term familiar. "This group was implicated in the release of several wild witches in the span of a single night." Feronia scoffed. "As well as 'miscellaneous acts of disturbance and sedition'."
Willow took a seat to think that over. Knowing what she knew now, she couldn't fault the head witch for trying to free wild witches. The very idea of her recent mission with Hunter still made her stomach squirm with guilt. Then another thought broke through the gloom. "Why haven't the people been told?"
Feronia's pen stopped moving as she looked up in surprise, a smile ticking at the corner of her mouth. "I can only assume to keep the populace's faith in the coven system." She resumed writing. "If word gets around that a coven head was inciting rebellion against the system, it could and likely would spur further resistance." She looked up sharply, her eyes narrowed. "And before you so much as consider spreading rumors, Dear, you must know that few outside the Emperor's Coven are aware of the situation. If rumors start now, they will know exactly who to trace it to."
Willow looked away from those fierce, knowing eyes. Part of her had been thinking about doing just that. "But why the stasis?" she asked. "I assume that's what that was. Some kind of forced sleep?"
"As far as we can tell, yes," Feronia said, her countenance relaxing.
"So why not petrify them?" Willow asked further.
Feronia finished her writing and delicately put her pen down before rubbing at her forehead. "Dear, there is much you do not yet know. That you are not yet ready to know. The Emperor still needs Whispers for his future goals. For now, that is all I will say on the matter and I will need you to trust me." She stood from her desk and started for the door. "I believe that is enough for today. Go on home," she smiled at Willow and handed her her Silver Belle mask, "and get some rest." Willow looked at her unsurely for a moment before she nodded and donned the mask.
As they left the coven house, Willow grew even more determined to talk to Luz alone at Hexside. Amity, too, since a scroll message from this morning said she was jumping into the same pit of serpents that Willow was wading in and wanted to discuss it in person soon — which had only added to her stress today.
With two of her friends accounted for, she wondered how Gus was doing today.
As the light faded from the sky, Gus was sitting on the ground sketching defense ideas for the Looking-Glass Graveyard, Shimmer dozing in his lap. In the weeks since they had first sought the place out, Matt had dug deep moats and pits around the perimeter, carved and placed terrifying statues at the gates to unsettle unwanted visitors from the start, erected deadfalls at the foot of each statue, and so much more. Part of him wasn't happy about some of their more … dangerous booby traps, but protecting the galderstones was crucial.
Gus recalled quite vividly how the Glandus trio — as he'd mentally dubbed them — had acted with the stones, the power going straight to their heads. And they were witchlings still in their formal magical training. He didn't want to consider what an experienced witch could do with them. Or a member of the Emperor's Coven. It hadn't been lost on him that Bria and her friends had heard about them from Coven scouts and even considered selling some to the coven.
As Gus conjured an illusory diagram of his last planned defense — false galderstones made of tinted glass that would stand in their place while the real ones were buried behind the gravemarkers — the ground trembled as Matt continued his own work of actually finishing up their current, second-to-last project: reconstructing and reinforcing the gravemarker statues. It had been sickening to see the Glandus kids desecrating them, but age had weathered them to the point where it would have been difficult to prevent breaking them even if they'd tried. So Matt was doing his best to repair and strengthen them.
And his work had been sped up considerably by his new palisman, Duke.
Gus smiled at the sight of Matt twirling his staff into wide spell circles that levitated the fragments of the gravemarkers and settled them a few at a time back into place, sealing them in place before settling the next batch. At first, he'd needed the help of Gus or the Keeper to demonstrate how smaller pieces fit together, but over time he'd gotten a lot better at it on his own.
And past his growing skill in Construction magic, Gus was proud of how much Matt had grown as a person. He was still gruff, and rude, and often crass, but he had become much more empathetic and grounded since they had first come here. He was looking forward to formally introducing him to the rest of the group and maybe having another guy like they'd had with Hunter.
Before Gus could miss the Golden Guard or feel bad about how much Willow clearly missed having so much time with him, Gus looked up at the sound of the Keeper's shuffling footsteps. "It seems your task is nearing completion, young illusionist," he noted.
"Yeah, just a few more tweaks," Gus agreed.
"And then you'll be leaving, I suppose," the Keeper said, his tone morose.
Gus lifted an eyebrow. "We probably won't come as often, yeah," he admitted, but then he smiled. "But we'll visit. And with your approval, we'll even bring new visitors. Ones we trust to keep the secrets here."
The Keeper raised an eyebrow at that before huffing a breath. "It's been too long since this place had anything but silence," he said. "I will trust your judgment, Gus. Bring whomever you please."
Gus smiled at the Keeper's words, but the old man stiffened and looked to the gates of the graveyard. Thick fog began to gather to hide the fence, lightning flickering in the clouds. A haunting cry of a Teumess — a beast-type demon that Luz had once compared to a "fox" from the human realm — echoed across the graveyard, and Matt was backing up to join them, his staff armed. Shimmer woke and expanded into her staff-form for Gus to take up as well.
But though the witchlings were tense and ready for action, the Keeper seemed … if not calm, then not ready for battle. "Stand down, boys," he said, waving away their staves. "This is a business call."
From the fog, which quickly dispersed in the way only an illusion could, strode a figure familiar to Gus. He was a slender, clean-shaven gentleman with dark hair combed backward into a style reminiscent of a wave. His purple eyes were wide and glittered with mischief, as appropriate for an illusionist. He was dressed in a simple dark tunic and trousers, the hems lined with bronze, a leather belt, and fingerless gloves. But moist tellingly, an earring shaped like a hand mirror hung in his left ear.
"Ludwig Caroll," Gus breathed, eyes wide with shock.
"Whoa, wait, the head of the Illusion Coven?!" Matt asked.
"Indeed I am," Ludwig said, striking a flourishing, dramatic pose, his voice a sharp tenor that carried with the flair of an announcer and a hint of accent. "And I must say, it is nice to be recognized."
"Head Witch Caroll," the Keeper greeted warily. "It is quite a surprise to see you here of all places." He shifted a little in place. "Is something the matter?"
"Not in regards to the graveyard, Stewardt," Ludwig assured. "Though I must say as well that your additions to the defenses are quite innovative." He laughed. "It always made me wonder why previous Keepers relied almost solely on misdirection and their own power to dissuade trespassers."
"Hey, we helped!" Matt said, stepping forward before Gus held him back.
"Indeed you did, Master Skarn," Ludwig said. "And in point of fact, that is part of the reason for this visit." From a pouch at his belt, the head witch drew a small bag that he tossed to Matt that jingled when he caught it. Matt glanced at Gus, who shrugged, before he opened it and poured out some of the contents: snail coins … each coin valued at twenty snails.
"Whoa," Matt said blankly.
"Consider that a grateful compensation for your work," Ludwig said. "And as for Master Porter …" Ludwig strode forward and nodded at the Keeper before addressing Gus. "Young man, Keeper Stewardt told me of your exploits here against Glandus students who tried to rob it." He hissed through his teeth. "I must say, while I am disappointed in my alumni, I am not exactly surprised." His smile returned. "I am, however, impressed with your talents. And after speaking with the teachers at Hexside, I would like to offer you a position as my apprentice."
Gus lifted his eyebrows before one lowered in a thoughtful look, and Amity's scroll message from earlier today came to mind. "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the Silver Belle, would it?" he asked.
Ludwig laughed, his eyes crinkling. "Indeed it is. Rumors are swirling that the other head witches are taking up teen apprentices to groom as successors. And while Lady Feronia does have more reason than most," he brushed his thumb along his chin, "I must say that the idea of an experienced apprentice has merit." He steepled his fingers. "So, lad, what d'you say?"
Gus blinked, momentarily overwhelmed by the offer. He thought back to his dad and what he hoped for Gus's future … and he smiled ruefully as he looked up to the coven head. "I am honored to be considered, sir. But I'm afraid it's not for me."
"Really?" the head witch said, his tone more bemused than anything else.
"I don't doubt my own skills, sir," Gus said, "but I just wouldn't have my heart in it. Leadership isn't my thing."
Ludwig stroked his chin and looked at the Keeper, flicked a hand in a gesture of agreement. "Well, young man, I can't say I'm not a mite disappointed." His smirk grew into a small, genuine smile. "But I respect your decision and find your reasons quite valid." He looked around before handing a second pouch of coins to Gus. "Still, though, if there is anything else I can ever do, do not hesitate to let me know."
"Thank you, Head Witch Caroll," Gus said. Then his eyebrows arched and he smiled wickedly. "Actually, if you don't mind … I do have a suggestion for your successor."
Chapter five, everybody! I hope it was as fun to read as it was to write!
*Bo's palisman Hepius is named for an alternate name for Asclepius, the Greco-Roman god of medicine. Snakes were not only associated with him - what with the Rod of Asclepius being a staff with a single snake wrapped around it being an enduring symbol of medicine - but have been associated with the earth, wisdom, regeneration (shedding skin), immortality, and healing for thousands of years.
*Amelia's palisman being a hummingbird is tied to the fact that hummingbirds are a species that pollinates flowers, much like bees and some kinds of bats. This allows them to reproduce and continue to thrive.
*Celine (the crescent-headed girl) getting a stag is derived from Hercules's fourth labor of retrieving a deer sacred to Artemis the goddess of the moon without hurting it and incurring her wrath; "Hart" is another word for stag. Tuck (my own name for him derived from his haircut that reminds me of Friar Tuck of Robin Hood stories) has a llama due to them being used to protect sheep and goats from predators (YES, it's true!); his name comes from the Andes mountains. And Edwin's flounder comes from their bizarre eyes that remind me of him; his name comes from Disney's "The Little Mermaid" where Ariel teasingly calls her friend Flounder a guppy.
*It was very difficult to find a deepest wish for Matt, especially one that tied to his character growth from "Looking-Glass Ruins," but I'm happy with what came to me. His palisman being a weasel is tied to Matt's personality in "Something Ventured, Someone Framed" and the fact that they are burrowing creatures, hence building dens. His name comes from Duke Weaselton from "Zootopia," and I imagine his palisman voice is Alan Tudyk, Weaselton's voice actor.
*In naming Darius's ability to change himself into an Abomination, "intrapersonal" means "occurring within the self" and transmutation is an anicent concept often associated with alchemy that means transforming one substance into another. In-universe, it is considered a technique of the highest caliber for Abomination users.
*I imagine that humanoid Abominations are the most basic and simple to create, and that altering their shapes from the start is a mark of mastery of the skill of actually creating them. Think of it like people who love cars and motorcycles altering their vehicles to their hearts' content, because they can and because they want to show how great they are. It's kind of like that.
*A Teumess demon resembles a grey fox and is known for its wily demeanor and inability to be captured. it is named for the Teumessian Vixen, a creature from Greko-Roman myth that could magically never be captured. It was set upon by the Laelaps Hound, a magical dog that would always catch its prey. Zeus was confounded by the paradox and decided to turn them to stone to resolve the matter.
*The Keeper's name, Stewardt, is the German form of "Stewart," which is derived from a Scottish name meanind steward, or "keeper or guardian of the hall." Matt's last name, Skarn, is a kind of rock.
As always, do leave a review! It's always fun to hear your opinions. May your inspirations and aspirations flow freely!